10 new books to read in August — including one for Fourth Wing fans | Books | Entertainment

July was a great month for book lovers, with new releases from popular authors like Scarlett St. Clair, Elise Kova and Sangu Mandanna, as well as bestselling author Holly Jackson’s thrilling adult debut, Not Quite Dead Yet. August is shaping up to be just as good, with many hotly anticipated releases by beloved authors like Carissa Broadbent, R. F. Kuang and T. Kingfisher, as well as some hidden gems that might have flown under your radar.

Here are 10 must-read books releasing in August 2025, with picks across the romance, fantasy, literary fiction and romantasy genres. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, you can also subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.

Katabasis is arguably one of the most-anticipated new releases for August, with a massive 238,000 people already shelving the book as ‘want to read’ on Goodreads. 

The latest novel from the author of Babel, Yellowface and The Poppy War trilogy follows two graduate students who must journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul.

But when Hell proves to be quite different from what they expected, Alice and Peter will need to set aside their fierce rivalry if they’re to get out of the underworld alive.

You can pre-order Katabasis, out August 26, here.

Another major August release comes courtesy of Carissa Broadbent, with the fourth instalment in the Crowns of Nyaxia series.

In this book, we follow Mische and Asar as they’re offered a final path to redemption – and back to each other. But first, they must embark on an extraordinary mission through the mortal and immortal realms alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. 

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk is the second part of the Shadowborn Duet, so while you don’t need to have read the first two Crowns of Nyaxia books, you will need to make sure you’ve read The Songbird & the Heart of Stone before starting this one.

You can buy The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk, out August 5, here.

Break Room is the new novella from the author behind the bestselling DallerGut Dream Department Store books.

This gripping psychological drama sees eight unsuspecting people invited to take part in a mysterious new reality show. The catch? They’ve all been voted to take part by their co-workers as the people they’d least like to share a break room with, AKA the office ‘villains’.

It may be short, but Break Room packs a punch. It’s perfect summer reading for anyone who works in an office, or who just enjoys watching reality TV. You’ll definitely see your colleagues in a different light after reading this…

You can buy Break Room, out August 28, here.

Bestelling author T. Kingfisher is back with another fairytale reimagining, and this time it’s Snow White getting an update. In Hemlock & Silver, unorthodox healer Anja is summoned by the King to help his dying daughter, Snow.

But as Anja tries to find out the reason for Snow’s mysterious illness, it quickly becomes clear that normal methods won’t work. But when she stumbles upon a secret world hidden inside a magic mirror, will the dark realm hold the answer to Snow’s sickness or will it be the thing that kills them all? 

With a narcissistic talking cat, surprising twists, and a funny and relatable main character, this is a magical read with nods to a beloved fairytale. 

You can buy Hemlock & Silver, out August 21, here.

From the author of Herc comes another enchanting mythical reimagining, this time focusing on Aphrodite. This isn’t the goddess of love we think we think we know, however, with Phoenicia Rogerson’s Aphrodite coming from nothing, weaving a web of lies to convince everyone she’s a goddess.

But once she reaches the top, she realises it isn’t quite what she imagined, and one day Aphrodite simply decides she’s had enough.

This is a stunningly witty tale, and a refreshing look at a familiar figure in Greek mythology. 

You can buy Aphrodite, out August 14, here.

A striking debut novel from the author behind The Undocumented Americans, Catalina tells the story of an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador who works her way to Harvard. After escaping death in Latin America, Catalina is raised by her undocumented grandparents before being accepted to study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

There, she throws herself into secret societies, opulent parties and desirable internships, while also finding herself increasingly drawn to a fellow student.

Set over the course of her final year of college, we follow her as undocumented immigrants become the target of political turmoil and Catalina’s New York life begins to unravel. 

You can buy Catalina, out August 7, here.

Two rival spies must join forces in order to stay alive in the latest rom-com from bestselling author Ally Carter. When they wake up handcuffed together in the dark, a year after last seeing each other with no idea where they are or how they got there, they find themselves thrown into their greatest mission yet. 

This is a thrilling second-chance love story full of twists and turns featuring flashbacks from across their action-packed 10-year shared history. This book is the follow-up to 2023’s The Blonde Identity, but can also be read as a standalone.

You can buy The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold, out August 7, here.

If you enjoyed Fourth Wing or Zodiac Academy, this one’s for you. On Wings of Blood is the first instalment in an addictive dark academia romantasy saga featuring all the good stuff. Think vampires, dragons, fae, magic, Arthurian legend and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

We follow Medra Pendragon, a half-fae princess from Camelot who finds herself forced to navigate a dangerous world where mortals coexist with vampires while being betrothed to Blake Drakharrow, an arrogant yet alluring vampire.

Having initially been published independently, the book already has hoards of existing fans, with many on Goodreads crediting it with healing their post-Onyx Storm book slump. 

You can buy On Wings of Blood, out on August 19, here.

On the surface, Marisa has it all. She lives in a nice apartment, lives upstairs from her neighbour/lover and has quickly risen through the ranks at a successful advertising agency. 

The only problem? She absolutely hates her job and everything it entails and stands for. Regardless, she gets by until her carefully crafted office persona threatens to crack when she’s forced to attend her company’s annual retreat. 

It may be a relatively short read, but Discontent is a wild ride, and even if you love your job, you’re still guaranteed to find a bit of yourself in this book.

You can pre-order Discontent, out August 21, here.

From the author behind The Book of Doors comes The Society of Unknowable Objects, which follows a trio of seemingly everyday people who are actually members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects.

When newest member Magda runs into trouble while tracking down an item in Hong Kong, it sparks a perilous journey across the world to find both the unknowable object and the truth.

You can buy The Society of Unknowable Objects, out August 7, here.